Until Next Time
by mangyhalfbreed
Summary: While on a shopping trip with her mother in Diagon Alley, thirteen-year-old Nymphadora Tonks spots a young boy sitting by himself. It doesn't take her long to realize that the boy is none other than her cousin, Draco Malfoy. A cousin she has never met...


"Wotcher." The happy greeting fell from her lips and drifted downwards. Slowly, the young boy sitting on the rickety wooden bench tipped his head up in acknowledgement. Thirteen-year-old Nymphadora Tonks was met with a pair of icy blue eyes which were filled to the brim with sweet, sweet innocence.

But…But there was a smidgen of something else concealed within them. Something you would probably miss if you didn't actually take the time to _look. _A certain coldness, one uncommon for a child so young.

"Hello," he said after several moments of hesitation, doing a bloody fine job of not looking surprised when he noticed her short, spiky neon green hair.

"What are you doin' out here all by yourself?" Tonks asked, plopping down onto the bench beside him with the grace of a drunken buffalo. "You didn't come here on your own, did you?"

Draco Malfoy shook his head and gave a careless one-shouldered shrug. "No. My father told me to wait here for him. He went in there," he said matter-of-factly, pointing his small index finger towards Gringott's. "What about you? Who _are_ you?"

She smirked broadly at that, noting the blond's eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. She chuckled under her breath. "No need to get defensive, kid! The name's Tonks."

"_Tonks?_"

"Tonks."

"What kind of a name is—"

"Let's just say it's a family name." She grinned. Draco shot her a look of disapproval and curiosity. But as he opened his mouth to badger her further on the subject, he suddenly thought better of it.

"I'm Draco Malfoy."

A small, almost saddened smile etched it's way across her face. Brown eyes, warm and now somber, met his own. "I know," she replied. Never did Tonks think she'd have to introduce herself to her own_ cousin_; her own flesh and blood! _Never _did Tonks think she'd have to wait until he was damn near six years old to speak with him for the first time. They're family…what kind of family works like this?

The boy blinked, tilting his head all too adorably to the side. "How d'you know that?"

"We're cousins."

Draco's mouth parted slightly. "Cousins?" he repeated. "I didn't know that I had any _cousins_…are you sure?" he asked her cautiously. She nodded affirmatively. "My mother and father never told me about you, though. How come we've never met? Do you live far away?"

"No," she said, her smile still present but just barely, "I don't live far away at all…" she paused. _He didn't even know that mum and I exist, _she thought_. Is it that much of a surprise?_

Not really. But it doesn't make it hurt any less.

"Then you can come visit me at the Manor, right?" he said, smiling for the first time. She knew from the moment she first laid eyes on him that Draco is very used to being alone. And to feel the hope radiating from him, inwardly rejoicing because his loneliness will be no more…it broke her heart in two.

"I don't think that would be a very good idea, mate."

His smiled vanished almost instantly. "But—"

"Draco!" Came a sharp voice from ahead. Lucius Malfoy was walking towards them briskly, the sounds of his cane rapping against the stone making Tonks flinch. They were out of time.

"I have to go," she muttered quickly, voice hushed. The teenager half stumbled to her feet, surprised to see Draco standing as well.

"But you only just got here!"

She tried to ignore the hurt in his voice.

"I know, kid. And I'm sorry. It's just that—" the furious banging of Lucius' cane grew louder, "—I have to get home. I promised my mum I'd…I'd help her with something. Besides, your dad's looking for ya'." Acting on impulse, knowing they'd be torn apart at any moment, Tonks reached forward and affectionately ruffled the boy's blond hair.

"Won't we see each other again?" He half asked/half begged the Metamorphmagus.

She fought desperately for an answer. Not wanting to lie but unwilling to be as blunt as she usually would. "Some day…yeah, some day we will." Tonks almost whispered. Brown eyes suddenly darted to her wrist, a rather gaudy charm bracelet dangling from it. Without thinking, she took one of the charms, a star-shaped one, and ripped it off with ease. The girl then took Draco's small hand and placed the charm onto his palm, closing his fingers over it. "I want you to have this…"

"Why?" He asked, perplexed.

_Because I want you to remember me._

"My son," came a cold, almost bored drawl from behind her. Tonks spun around and took a step backwards as Lucius pierced her with his gaze. She saw nothing in his face but contempt and even disgust. "How many times have your mother and I told you…not to talk to _strangers?_" He smirked very faintly, stepping past Tonks and grasping the boy by his shoulder. "Come." He commanded. Draco did not move. "_Come, _Draco." The man hissed this time, his large hand clamping down tighter.

Tonks could stand no more and did Draco a favor by whirling on her heels and began practically jogging away from the father and son. She glanced over her shoulder one last time to see her younger cousin staring back at her, grimacing somewhat in pain from his father's grip. His eyes were pleading. She wanted to _help_ him! She wanted to go back. She wanted…

She disappeared into the busy crowd.


End file.
